Has anyone tried the new Thermal engine whisper fan? Also, qustion on temperatures for equinox.

[tlingit]

I really like having a fan on top of the stove, but our little ecofan doesn't move enough air. We have an equinox, and it is the main heat source for the house on evenings and weekends. I had an early model of the thermal engine fan, and liked it, but it wasn't very reliable. Also, we switched from an old cast iron stove to the equinox, and the thermal engine fan was designed for hogher heat. The manufactors website said the whisper was designed for lower heat soapstone stoves.

The little thermometer I have on top of the stove reads about 325 most of the time. I just have placed the magnetic stack thermometer in the middle of the stove. How would this external temp. relate to the internal temp? Thanks!

 

[edthedawg]

I can't help you at all with your fan query, but running at 325 is way too cold for sustained operation on that big stove. You need to re-evaluate how or what you are burning. If you are packing an EQ w/ dry, seasoned hardwood and only getting 325 stovetops, that's a big indicator that something is wrong. You could start by checking your flue temp.

If the flue is way hotter (i.e. 800-1200 gas temp), then it may be draft / primary related. Could be a flue damper is needed, or you need to modify how and when you back down the primary air - you're not leaving it wide open all the time, are you??

If the flue is cold also, (i.e. 400-600 gas temp) then you need to look for hissing, popping wood (read: WET!) or perhaps you are backing the primary down too early and choking the air supply...

Before you do ANYTHING else to take heat away from the stove (fans, reclaimers, etc.) you need to get that baby running 150 - 200F hotter.

 

[karri0n]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on those "stove-powered" fans. Those really are just a gimmick. They move very little air and aren't adjustable, and you pay 100-200 dollars for something that a $10 metal fan from family dollar, wal-mart, or any surplus store will do far better. I have a 10$ metal fan on top of my stove that I swivel downwards so it actually blows ON the stovetop as opposed to moving the air above the stove. This moves the heat into my other rooms far better than even a blower made for the stove.

 

[rumme]

Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on those "stove-powered" fans. Those really are just a gimmick. They move very little air and aren't adjustable, and you pay 100-200 dollars for something that a $10 metal fan from family dollar, wal-mart, or any surplus store will do far better. I have a 10$ metal fan on top of my stove that I swivel downwards so it actually blows ON the stovetop as opposed to moving the air above the stove. This moves the heat into my other rooms far better than even a blower made for the stove.

Have you tryed all of the ones available ? I think may people agree the econo style fans are not good at moving alot of air, but my brother purchased another flat styled one off of ebay. He swears that its really makes a difference and is much better then the 2 or 3 bladed econo fan variety.

 

[Corey]

IMHO, you are likely to get a little better performance out of a stirling engine based fan (such as the freebreeze), as opposed to a thermal-electric such as the ecofan. Of course, you're not going to get much out of either at 375º, and a small plug in electric fan would blow them both away.

 

[neverrude]

This will give you a little more information about the fans.


https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/28766/

 

[pumiglk]

Don't think the eco fan is going to move the air required in a room/house with the volume for the equinox. They do have a blower unit for the EQ that mounts on the back. I have it on mine. It moves air very nicely and is pretty quiet at mid speed where we run it most of the time, no one even knows it is on. Works well for us since it the stove is set into an old rumsford on an exterior wall I am not that interested in heating. In a freestanding/360 install I am not sure it would work as well. While I am still in the learning curve of getting the most out of this beast, 325 max stovetop is cool. We burn 24/7 and 300 is reload temp except overnight. I have 300 temps burning off coals.

Not sure about Edthedawgs #s though...were those magnetic temps - if so I think there about right. If they are actual gas temps measured with a probe type they seem high to me. My condar flue probe says 400-600 is a good burn temp; over 900 starts into "too hot" range. In my experience if you get 1000 degree flue temps with a probe it is one scary fire going on in that stove - the one time I remember seeing something in the 1200 range was the LAST time "someone" decided to accelerate things by leaving the door open and got distracted by hearth.com :red:

 

[tlingit]

Thanks for the good advice. 300 is the external stove top temp.taken with a little rutledge thermometer. I will take it at the flue. We are burning a mix of birch and spruce, mostly spruce right now. Fully loaded, with the damper set at anywhere from 50 - 25% open it cruises at 450. Very difficult to get it beyond that, but these are all external readings. I know that spruce is a low temp. wood, so hadn't been too concerned until now.

Maybe I'll work on the burn temp. more before worrying about another fan.

 

[edthedawg]

Those were gas temps - assuming it's single-wall, then either measure w/ a Condar probe or take a Rutland/IR surface temp and double the number for an estimated gas temp.

My intent is to see if the wood is actually burning well, but the stove / settings are sending the heat up the flue; or if the wood itself is just not getting hot (could be boiling off moisture instead of heating the room). buono fuoco is right - 400-600 should be a decent burn temp, so I expect you would be looking for the trademark hissing, smoke from the stack, and consistently sub-500 gas temps if it's wood-related.

tlingit - when you say "the damper set at 50-25% open..." you mean the primary air control - right? Not a flue damper? Sorry if this was already asked and answered - it's just important to know as much about your system and how you operate it in order to help. You definitely want that top-center stovetop temp to be in the 450 range - should feel crazy hot in front of the stove when you get it up past 500.

Don't hesitate to also play around w/ the Rutland - move it different locations on the stovetop, see what you get. I like my IR thermometer for this reason - can check a dozen locations inside of 30 seconds...

 

[tlingit]

Hi Ed;

You're right, I meant the primary air control. Since I've started doing more reading here, I've been doing what my husband (don't tell him) suggested, which is letting it get really good and hot before cutting down on the airflow. This stove is such a rock, it takes it forever to get up to 450 on the external surface temperatures. It might also be the wood we are burning, seasoned black spruce mixed with birch (not as well seasoned). I've read that the spruce is just a low temp. wood. we bought the birch, it was billed as 2 year wood, but I have serious doubts about that.